Boys' name · since 1880
Ernst
2,383 babies named Ernst in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1917. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #2,963 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 2,383
- born since 1880
- 1910s
- peak decade
2,383 boys have been named Ernst since 1880, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ernst has been recorded 2,383 times among boys since 1880, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, with its heaviest use in the 1910s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2021.
- #2,963 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 2,383 born since 1880
- 1910s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ernst ranks #2,963 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 2,383 born since 1880, peaking in the 1910s.
- #2,963 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 2,383
- born since 1880
- 1910s
- peak decade
Ernst's 2,383 recorded births place it above 93.48% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
10 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by New York.
Ernst's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Ernst's full recorded timeline at 1948, 39% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 61% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1897, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1917 peak of 59 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Ernst popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2021
- Peak year (1917)
- 59
- Annual births at peak, across 142 years of records
Ernst by decade
1910s is the heaviest window (371 births, 16% of the file).
1910s was Ernst's strongest decade.
371 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 16% of all-time use.
Ernst births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 117
1880s
117 births
- 1890s 97
1890s
97 births
- 1900s 72
1900s
72 births
- 1910s
1910s
371 births
- 1920s
1920s
350 births
- 1930s
1930s
281 births
- 1940s
1940s
202 births
- 1950s
1950s
208 births
- 1960s
1960s
182 births
- 1970s
1970s
149 births
- 1980s
1980s
162 births
- 1990s 98
1990s
98 births
- 2000s 59
2000s
59 births
- 2010s 30
2010s
30 births
- 2020s 5
2020s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1910s at 371 births (16% of all-time use).
How Ernst compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Ernst's total volume
Ernst by state
Where Ernst concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 124 | 5.2% |
| #2 | Wisconsin | | 115 | 4.8% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 61 | 2.6% |
| #4 | Florida | | 30 | 1.3% |
| #5 | Missouri | | 28 | 1.2% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 13 | 0.5% |
| #7 | California | | 10 | 0.4% |
| #8 | Kentucky | | 5 | 0.2% |
124 of 2,383 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 10 reporting states.
Ernst appears in 10 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ernst? ▼
Where does Ernst sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Ernst most popular? ▼
Where is Ernst most popular? ▼
How long has the name Ernst been used? ▼
What names are similar to Ernst? ▼
What to do with Ernst's data
- Ernst's decade-level peak was the 1910s (371 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Ernsts (124 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Ernst
Nearby Names Like Ernst
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ernst
Compare Ernst side by side: Ernst vs Ernest Ernst vs Ernesto Ernst vs Ernie
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Ernst: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1917)
Similar record span (~141 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2021 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Ernst draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.